A Christmas Eve Tiva Moment
by Tiva equals Mr. and Mrs. Smith
Summary: A friend of mine on twitter asked someone to make a Tiva fan-fic and I granted her request. I like a challenge, though I'm not that good a writer, but I'm happy with the end result. I know it's late even though it's a Christmas fic. Read & enjoy! Tiva #Cote'sArmy #BringCoteHome.


** A Christmas Eve Tiva Moment**

It was Christmas Eve. Tony arrived home late from work, closing the door quickly bur quietly so as to not let the cold in. Shaking the snow from his hair and coat, when he turned around, he sighed at what he saw. His shoulders slumping, a smile forming on his face, a look one would describe almost as lovestruck. Tony looked at the living room. The fireplace was lit and crackling, full stockings hung on the decorated mantel, a menora in the center among the bits of pine greenery and red bows. The Christmas tree was decorated and lit, the presents yet to be put under it, bits of Christmas everywhere. "You're home." DiNozzo smiled and turned around after a very hot looking brunette, aka Ziva David-DiNozzo, his wife of 15 years, took off his coat and laid it over her shoulder. "I missed you." he said, caressing her cheek. Ziva smiled and took both Tony's hands into hers and rubbed them to warm them up. "I missed you, too." she said softly as she leaned in and her lips brushed his as they kissed gently but with passion, not once, but three times. "I made your favorite." Tony so loved this woman. Ziva had stayed home to take care of the kids, Jason and Rebecca, since they had slight fevers, hence the reason why they hadn't been in school for a couple of days. Ziva had also cleaned the house, decorated the house, made lasagna, wrapped the presents to put under the tree later, put up and decorated the tree, gave their children medicine after eating dinner, etc...all of this while he was at work. "So how was your day my little multitasker?" Tony asked as he followed her to the closet where Ziva hung up his coat, rubbing her shoulders as she put it on the hanger. "You sure did a lot." "It was not anything I couldn't handle." she replied, feeling his hands move down to her sides. Ziva turned so she was facing him, smiling. "How was yours?" Tony then frowned, the light dimming in his eyes a little as he thought about his day and Ziva immediately put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "A Marine was killed by a drunk driver while he was on his way home with gifts for his own family." Ziva leaned her head to one side. "Me and Gibbs had to deliver the bad news." Tony took a deep breath and went slumping down on the couch, Ziva following him, her hand staying on him as a constant sign of comfort. Tony rubbed a hand over his face as he stared at the fire. "The oldest kid was a 17 year old boy, his brother, 12..the look on their faces...I'll never forget that look." "I'm sorry. These things are never easy." Tony entwined his fingers with Ziva's. "I know. It comes with the job..So..." He said to change the subject. "Are the kids in bed?" Ziva smiled. "Yes they are, but they're not asleep." Tony's eyebrows rose as he watched Ziva rise from her spot next to him and head down the hall. "Why aren't they sleeping? They need their rest considering they have fevers, and so should you because of all this work you've done." He said as he got up. "Their fevers are still lingering but when I checked their temperature earlier, they didn't feel as warm to the touch. I checked 3 times just to make sure, which means that the fever is going down and they will recover soon." Ziva replied. She quietly went down the hall to the door to their children's room, opening it just a crack, and was surprised and instantly warmed by what she saw. Ziva looked down the hall. "Tony." She quietly called to her husband, motioning for him to join her, which Tony did so. When he got near, Ziva put a finger to her lips in a (sshh) motion and quietly opened the door just enough so they both could peak in on their little ones.

Tony instantly smiled and both parents were proud. Ten year old Jason was sitting next to seven year old Rebecca in her bed. They each held the end of a big children's book, Frosty the Snowman, and Jason was reading, or at least making a great effort to be the big brother that he was to his little sister. Both children had a mixture of their parent's skin tone, but Rebecca's was more like Ziva. They both had their mother's nose and curly hair. Jason had higher cheekbones than his sister and he also had a widows peak, while both children had the hair and eye color that matched their father. "Frosty the Snowman had to hurry on his way. But he waved goodbye saying don't you cry-" "I'll be back, on Christmas day." A voice interrupted Jason's narrative and both children looked up to see their parents entering the room. "Daddy! Abba!" Both children jumped up and ran to Tony, who knealed down and braced himself for their Aunt Abby taught bear hugs. They laughed and giggled when their father started to tickle them. "Abba stop it!" "Yeah, that tickles!" They laughed. Both children had picked up on their mother's native language, just a few words like 'Thank you-Toda', Mother and Father-Ima and Abba, Goodnight-Laila Tov', and a few others. "Alright you three." Ziva intervened before the tickling turned into rough housing and then she'd have 2 very wide awake children. "It's time for bed. You both need your rest." Jason and Rebecca protested a little but they both eventually complied due to the medicine finally kicking in. DiNozzo tucked them in their individual beds, then turned off the mane light and leaned against the door frame while Ziva turned on the night light and, sitting in a rocking chair in the corner of the room by the window, she quietly but sweetly sang silent night until both children were fast asleep. She then rose from her seat and went to their beds, leaning down and placing a kiss on her children's foreheads just like Gibbs does to her. "Goodnight my tatelehs. Sleep well." Ziva whispered and then left the room, quietly closing the door behind her.

Once she left the room both parents then quickly put the presents under the tree. After changing into her silky pajamas, Ziva joined Tony, also in his pjs, back out in the living room. He was sitting on the couch long ways and when their eyes met, he smiled and moved his right leg to the side, his foot touching the ground. Ziva smiled and sat on the couch with her back facing him and she leaned back against him. Tony then took a blanket and covered them both so they could just cuddle together. Ziva sighed with contentment and happiness. Tony grinned. "That sounds familiar." Ziva angled her head and looked up at her husband, "What?" Tony didn't reply, instead he just wound his arms through hers from under the blanket and placed them on her flat stomach. He was tempted to go under the shirt but he didn't want to be wounded on such a happy event as Christmas. "When you were pregnant with one of the kids, after I came home and you were on maternity leave. Remember when we'd sit like this then?" Ziva smiled at the memories and leaned back against him, her head resting on his shoulder, Tony felt her hair brush the side of his chin. "I remember you sat behind me when I was in labor with them. Well manly Jason because since he was my first, he took longer." Tony smiled and rubber her shoulder with his right hand, moving her hair out of the way and nuzzled her neck as they both sat up a little, Ziva sitting Indian style, crossing her legs. "Well he is a DiNozzo." Tony kissed her neck and Ziva smiled but scoffed. "Need I remind you that he took 17 hours?!" She hissed playfully. Tony cringed and held up his hands defensively. "Wasn't my fault he took so long. All DiNozzos like warm, dark and tight spaces, especially when a beautiful woman is involved." Ziva rolled her eyes. "Mm-hm. And after that when I got pregnant with Rebecca, I thought, 'This is going to be a pinch." "Synch." Ziva just stared at him, but after a few moments, Tony saw the look in her eyes changed to sadness and regret. Ziva then looked down at her hands. "But things do not always turn out the way we expect them to." She said softly, her lip started to quiver and a single tear escaped her eyes. "Hey, it's okay. It was nothing you did." Tony tried to comfort her. "That was a little over 7 years ago and Rebecca's fine and she's an awesome kid. They both are." Ziva nodded, her lip still quivering at the memories of what happened almost 7 years ago. "I know, Tony."

**Flashback**

Ziva was 7 1/2 months pregnant with Rebecca, but she hadn't took off for maternity leave like Tony and Gibbs kept telling her to. That day, a suspected murderer was just proven guilty after Ziva and Tony interrogated him. The man was greatly protesting and was uncooperative as he was being removed from the room. So much so that as Gibbs was coming in to help, the man gave a violent shake to struggle free and went for Ziva. He kicked her in the stomach, hard, so much so that she lost her balance and fell to the ground, trying to grab onto the metal table as she did so but the whole escapade caused Ziva to go into premature labor and she started bleeding. Gibbs slammed the man into the wall after punching him in the gut and put him in his place as security came and took the prisoner away. Tony was trying to help Ziva but she was in severe pain and he and Gibbs both had to carry her all the way down to the garage and got in a car while McGee called the nearest hospital and told them of what had happened and that they were on their way. The doctors did an emergency delivery once Tony and Ziva were rushed into the ER of the Maternity Ward, and little Rebecca, for she was very tiny, was rushed to the NICU as soon as the cord was cut. Both parents had never been more scared in their lives and Ziva was sobbing and fighting Tony, who was holding her tightly so the doctors could work on her and stop the bleeding. She desperately wanted to be with her baby and the trauma of the whole incident and not even hearing Rebecca cry and not even seeingher at all was too much. ~**End of Flashback**

"Ziva. It's okay." "But still I should have listened to you and Gibbs and went on leave when you asked me to! Otherwise it wouldn't have happened! Rebecca almost died because she was underdeveloped and born too early!" Ziva wasn't yelling, her voice was just full of emotion and it killed Tony to know that after these past few years his wife still blamed herself. DiNozzo wrapped her in a hug. "But she didn't, she's a fighter just like you, and look how far she's come...You, are the best mom in the whole wide world." This somehow seemed to put Ziva's fears from the past to rest and she and Tony laid back down the length of the couch again. "I love you, so much." She said, turning her head and Tony smiled through their kiss. "I love you, too. Merry Christmas." And Tony and Ziva let the warmth and comfort of each other lull them to sleep. Though it was a blizzard outside, snowing and blowing with bitter and unforgiving cold, it couldn't quench the warmth and love of a family on Christmas.

** THE END**


End file.
